1. If you drive through the East Side, your car will get jacked.

Fact: I’ve seen what you’re driving. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Actually, car thefts have decreased throughout the LA area, and recent stats show only about a 4% chance of being a victim of any kind of property theft in East Los Angeles.

2. East LA is full of eligible singles (just waiting for us when we graduate from ELH).

Fact: According to the most recent census, the biggest group of adults in East LA (42%) are married with children.

3. East LA is only Mexican.

Fact: It is 97% Latino, but that doesn’t automatically mean Mexican or Mexican American any more than saying all salsa is spicy. Lots of flavors make up the mix.

4. East LA has always been a Latino area.

Not quite. East LA has been home to various communities including Jewish and Japanese American families. It wasn’t until the Japanese Internment and WWII that the groups were moved (relocated in the case of Japanese Americans) and chose to move (in the case of Jewish Americans) from the neighborhood.

5. East LA is a separate city.

Fact: East LA is unincorporated but technically a census-designated place (CDP). A CDP is an area that it can be treated like a community in the census even though it does not have a specific government designation (town, village, etc.) In other words, that’s how we can find all these surprising stats!

6. Only old people live in East LA, like my uncle Memo.

Fact: 30 is the median age. 

7. Nobody walks in East LA.

Fact: East LA ranks in top 10% for walking and biking to work among similar urban areas. Top 5% for public transportation use. (That’s compared to similar-sized cities in the country.)

8. East Siders are mostly gardeners and pop stars.

Nope. Top two professions: Sales/Office jobs and Production/transportation jobs. In fact, the most recent census data shows a wide range of jobs held by those living in East Los.

9. You can’t find culture on the East Side.

Fact: That statement makes no sense, but if you mean the art culture of museums, East LA is home to some awesome museums including: The Vincent Price (Yes, from Thriller) Art Museum, La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, & Heritage Square Museum. It also has a rich and vibrant art scene of its own!

10. Politicians don’t know how to quilt on the East Side.

(Okay, not a major myth, but check this out!) Fact: LA County Supervisor Gloria Molina runs the East Los Angeles Stitchers (TELAS), a quilting crew made up of quilters.

11. Everyone from East LA is hot.

Well, what can we say? We are caliente, and I’m not just talking about the clima. (But speaking of clima, it’s generally 10-20 degrees hotter in East LA than coastal areas in LA).